Key coupling device



Jan. 16, 1945. R. 1.. MULLER KEY COUPLING DEVICE Filed Oct. 20, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 V I INVENTOR fiol/erf 4. mum

DM W MM ATTORNEYS Jan. 16, 1945. R. MULLER KEY COUPLING DEVICE 4 Sheets$heet 2 Filed Oct. 20, 1941' 0i .vwfix v 6 MW N m R o.

Jan. 16, 1945.

R. L. MULLER KEY COUPLING DEVICE Filed Oct. 20 1941 4'Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR BY QM L. NW/er l A TQRNEYS Jan. 16, 1945. R. L. MULLER I KEY COUPLING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed 001;. 20, 1941 I INVENTOR BYROIIZII ANN/e1 IIfiORNEYS Patented Jan. 16, 1945 KEY COUPLING DEVICE Robert L. Muller, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Burroughs Adding Machine Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application October 20, 1941, Serial No. 415,733

7 Claims.

This invention relates to business machines of the full keyboard type, that is, machines with a plurality of rows or banks of keys and in which a key in each of a plurality of rows can be depressed simultaneously to set up an entry to be made by the machine.

An object of the invention is to provide, in such a machine, improved means to so cooperate wi h the keys of selected groups of keys that when any key in any such group is depressed, the remaining keys of the same group are also depressed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved means of the character stated which can be incorporated'in a machine of the character specified flexibly to permit of wide choice in grouping of keys.

-A further object is to provide an improved means of the character stated which can not only be incorporated in machines being built but also be applied to machines of the character specified at any time after manufacture with a minimum of alteration in the existing machine structure and maximum facility.

A further object is to provide an improved means of the character stated which will permit of easily re-grouping the keys when desired.

A further object is to provide an improved means of the character stated which will minimize the amount of care required from the operator in depressing grouped keys.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved means of the character stated which is inexpensive and easy to manufacture and apply to the machine and is also reliable in use.

Further objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a machine equipped with the invention showing particularly the parts more closely associated with the inventon, other parts being omitted for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of keyboard oi the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fi 3 is a rear elevation of portions of the printing type bars of the machine in Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the keyboard, parts being broken away to show more the manner of cooperation of said bail with the keys;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a portion of a keyboard having key-group bails of the form illustrated in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a keyboard equipped with a modified form of keygroup bail, portions being broken away to reveal more clearly the form of construction of the bail and the manner of cooperation of the bail with the keys;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a portion of another style of machine equipped with the invention; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of another modified form of key-group bail and of the keys cooperating therewith. I

In Fig. 1 the invention is shown as applied to a well-known Burroughs high keyboard type of machine, the general construction of which is well known and illustrated and described in many patents. The machine is a full keyboard type of calculating machine, that is, a calculating machine having a plurality of forwardly and rearwardly extending banks or rows of keys 20, one bank of which is shown in Fi 1.

* The stem of each key 20 passes through vertically aligned apertures in top and bottom plates 2| and 22 of the keyboard and the lower end of the stem of eachkey cooperates with the forward arm of a detent bell crank 23. The lower arm of each detent bell crank of each bank of keys extends through a corresponding slot 24 in a key latch slide 25 extending forwardly and rear-v wardly along the entire bank of keys. When any key is depressed, its detent bell crank 23 is rocked clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, and its downward arm shifts the latch slide 25 rearwardly until the rearward edge of an aperture 26 in the rear end of the slide 25 is rearward of a shoulder on the lower edge of one arm of a latch yoke 21 for the key-bank, which is thereupon rocked counterclockwise by its spring 28, about the rod 29 on which it is pivoted, to latch the slide 25 in its rearward position. In the rearward movement of the slide 25 the edges of the slide at the forward ends of the slots 24 move beneath shoulders on the downward arms of the detent bell cranks 23 of all undepressed keys, thereby latching all undepressed keys against depression. The detent bell crank 23 for the depressed key is held in rocked position by the edge of the slide 25 at the forward end of the corresponding slot 24 being positioned above-the shoulder projection on the lower arm of the bell crank.

For each detent bell crank 23 in a bank there is a stop wire 30, the rear upper end of which is lower arm of the detent bell crank below the latch slide 25 and the forward hooked end of which is guided in a respective one of a series of spaced slots 31 in each of a pair of comb plates 32 for the key-bank. The depression of any key except the rearmost key in a key-bank, therefore, pulls a corresponding stop wire 30 rearwardly to place the transverse portion of its forward hooked end between the pair of comb plates 32 in the path of a shoulder 35 01' an actuator sector 36 between the comb plates 32 and carried by the forward arm of a lever 31 pivoted on a shaft 38 running transversely through themachine. 'The levers 31 for the several banks of the machine are urged clockwise in Fig. 1 by springs 39 but normally held in their normal positions of Fig. 1 by a ball 40.

Rearward movement of the key latch slide 25 by depression of key also causes an up-bent lug II on the forward 'end of the slide to engage a projection on a zero-stop latch 42 pivoted on a rod 43 and rock said zero-stop latch clockwise against the tension oi! a spring M to remove a lateral lug on the zero-stop latch rearwardly from beneath a shoulder 46 on the actuator sector 35 so that when, during a cycle of operation of the machine, the bail 40 is swung clockwise in Fig. 1 in a well-known manner, the levers 31 and actuator sectors 35 for the key banks in which keys have been depressed are moved clockwise by their springs 39 until the shoulders 35 on such actuator sectors engage the hooked forward ends of the stop wires 30 for the depressed keys.

On the rearward end of the rear arm of each of the levers 31 is a type carrier support ng a series of type members 50 with appropriate char acter type formed on their rearward end faces. During the machine cycle, when the bail 40 has competed its cl ckwise movement and the sector 88 and lever 31 ior each bank of keys in which a key has been depressed have moved clockwise to the posit on determined by the stop wire for the depressed key. the type members 50 50 which extend forwardly through the type can riers. The printing mechanism is basically of the type disclosed in the Burroughs Patent 505,078 and the construction and operation thereof need not be further described in detail herein.

After the printing hammers 52 have been fired to eifect the printing impression, the bail is returned counterclockwise during the return stroke of the machine cycle to its normal position of Fig. 1 and thereby returns the levers 31 and sectors II to their Fig. 1 positions.

During the return stroke of the machine cycle, a ball 85, carried by a pair of arms 56 pivoted at 51 on the side plates of the machine frame, is rocked forwardly oi its Fig. 1 position to engage and lift the tails of the latch yokes 21, thereby rleasing the slides" and zero-stop latche 42 for return to their normal positions of Fig. i by the springs ll. The return of the latch slides 25 to their normal forward positions unlatches all oi the keys in their respective banks and permits the dctcnts 23 for the depressed keys to be returned counterclockwise to their normal positions by springs ll connected at their upper ends to lugs on spacing plates ll, located between the plates II and 22 between the key-banks, and at their lower ends to studs l2 secured in the detent; 23

and extending laterally through slots in the spacing plates 6!.

A plurality of key-banks at the right-hand side of the keyboard, viewing the machine from the front, will generally be employed for controlling the printing and registering of amounts, and the actuator sectors 36 for those banks of keys cooperate with a suitable registering mechanism (Fig. 1) of a character appropriate to the calculating work to be performed upon the machine. Mediately or immediately to the left of the amount section of the keyboard are a plurality of banks ill of keys for controlling the printing of desired data, such as designations of goods or services, or other characteristics of the items to which the amounts entered in the amount section of the keyboard relate.

The designations to be printed under the con trol of the keys in the key-banks comprise varying numbers oi characters necessary to adequately identify or classify the various items. Fig. 2 illustrates a portion of the keyboard of a ma chine equipped with the invention and suited for use in connection with an automobile SEIVlCB business wherein it is desired that the business records to be kept and/or the statements of account to be given to the customers should list opposite the amounts of the debit and credit entries the nature of the goods, services, or the like, in respect of which such amounts are charged or credited to the accounts. In the example illustrated in Fig. 2, it will be seen that certain designations such as Oil," Wash," Tires and Parts require the use of only two banks of keys and two printing type carriers for the printing thereof, whereas other designations shown on the keyboard of Fig. 2 require the use of three, four or six banks to take care of the printing of the necessary characters.

Fig. 3 illustrates the arrangement on the type carriers of the type for the characters involved in the designations shown in Fig. 2, there being generally two character types on each type mem ber 50 except in the highest order type carrier at the right, viewing. the machine from the rear as in Fig. 3 (or at the left, viewing the machine from the front as in Fig. 2), where it may be necessary, in some instances, as in the case of the designation Tires, to employ wider type carries 50X with three letter types and extending laterally partially behind the next higher order type carrier which, in such case, would not be provided with types. Likewise, the keysfor the corresponding higher order would be omitted from the keyboard and the key slots either omitted or closed by suitable means such as plugs 12.

If the letters corresponding to those on the various type members 50 were placed directly on the tops of the corresponding keys in the banks ill, the printing of the required designations could be effected by the operator depressing individually each of the keys bearing the required characters. However, that would greatly slow up the work performed on the machine, particularly in the case of long designations such as Gasoline or Returned Mdse., to permit the depression of all of the keys required for the printing of a. given designation by a single finger pressure. The type members 50 bearing the required character type are so arranged in the respective carriers on the rear arms oi. the levers 31 that all 0! the designation keys required to be depressed Ior each designation are arranged in the same horikeys required to be depressed for the printing of each individual designation are embraced in a single auxiliary key top or bridge I5, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

The bridge I5 is formed of a preferably sheet metal channel member having a substantially flat top portion I6 with side flanges I1 turning inwardly under the upper end portion of the key top and downwardly turned rounded end flanges I8 (Fig. 5) fitting closely the edge surfaces of the end keys of the group of keys allotted to the designation displayed on the upper surface of the bridge. One of the side flanges is notched as at 11a to permit of easy insertion of the keys in the bridge member by placing an edge of the key top in the angle between the top portion I6 and the other flange TI opposite the notch IIa, then tilting the key top into contact with the underside of the top portion I6 of theflbridge member and finally sliding the key top lengthwise of the bridge member to the proper position therein. Between the under surface of the flat top portion I6 of the bridge and the upper faces of the keys embraced thereby, a strip I9 of somewhat resilient material, such as felt, may be inserted, for a purpose to be mentioned later.

The bridges I5 might be sufiicient to enable the operator to depress the entire group of keys allotted to each designation by a single finger depression if the operators finger were, in each instance, always pressed at or near the mid portion of the bridge embracing the group of keys. However, in their efforts to speed up work, operators 7 frequently will exert flnger pressure against the bridge 15 at or near one or the other of the ends thereof, and in the case of the longer bridges for the longer designations, the pressure exerted at or near one end of the bridge may not always result in full depression of one or more of the keys at the opposite end of the group, so that the required designation is not completely printed. To avoid such misoperations, the invention provides a means to insure that the entire group of keys allotted to each designation will be fully depressed as a group when any key of the group is depressed.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a bail 80 adapted to be inserted betweenthe upper and lower plates 2| and 22 of the keyboard has slots 8| to receive the stems of the keys of the group connected by the bridge I5 and, forwardly of each of said slots and key stems, has a downwardly turned lug 82 tobear against the lower plate 22 of the keyboard. The edge of the bail member 80 at the rear end of each of the slots 8| is held seated in a-n'otch 83 in the stem of the key passing through said slot by means of a retaining rod 84 inserted lower plate 22, preferably only sufllclently to give proper clearance between the said bail member and the upper keyboard plate 2| as the bail rocks from the position of the left-hand bail member of Fig. 5 to the position of the right-hand bail member of that figure, and back again, so that if, in the group of keys associated with the bail, any'key not immediately under the operators fingeroffers any greater than normal resistance against depression when the operator attempts to press the group of keys, any possible twisting of the main upper portion of the bail will result in that portion of the ball 80 where the lug 82 for the corresponding key joins the remainder thereof contacting against the upper keyboard plate 2| and. so enabling the bail either to overcome the resistance against depression of the key or to block the depression of any of the keys of the group. The notches 83 are of less vertical width at'their outer open ends than at their closed inner ends to minimize looseness between the key stems and the coupling bail 80 withoutinterfering with the rocking of the bail during depression and restoration'of the keys.

As the bail 80 itself is adequate to depress all of the keys of the group with which it cooperates upon depression of any of those keys, it is not necessary for the keys to be rigidly secured in the corresponding bridge member I5. The insert I9, while preventing looseness of the key tops in the bridge member, permits of slight movement of the keys relative to the bridge member sufficient between the downturned lugs 82 and the forward edges of the respective key of the group. Thus,

irrespective of the bridge I5 connecting the tops of the keys of the group allotted to a particular designation, depression of any one of the keys in the group will depress the rearward portion of the bail 80, causing the bail to rock about its contacts between the lugs 82 and the lower keyboard plate 22, from the position of the left-hand bail member 88 of Fig. 5 to the position of the righthand bail member80 of that figure, whereby all of the keys of the group cooperating with the bail member 80 are depressed by the depression of any one or more of 'the keys of the group. Those portions of the bail at which the downwardly bent lugs join with the remainder of the bail memher are spaced from the upper plate 2| ,of the keyboard, when the ends of the lugs rest on the to prevent binding of the parts as the keys are depressed and restored and so aids in securing smooth and easy operation.

The bail members 80 are made of various lengths suited for coupling either two or any greater number of keys which might be required for any designation to be printed by a machine of the character stated and are not only easily installed at the time of original assembly of such a machine but may be inserted and removed or exchanged easily at any time in a previously con.- structed machine. The keys employed are the same as standard keys for the machine to which the invention is applied except only for the notch 83 in the rearward end of the stem of each key.

In assembling the parts the number of keys required for the desired designation to be printed are assembled in a bridge member I5 of a length appropriate to the number of keys to be assembled therein, the tops of each of the keys in turn being slipped into the channel in the bridge member I5 at the notch Na and slid lengthwise to its proper position in the bridge member. ,A bail member 80 of appropriate length and with the appropriate number of slots 8| for the number of key inserted in the bridge member I5 is then placed against the under surface of the number plate 2| of the keyboard with its slots 8| in registry with the slots in the plate 2|. Then the stems of the keys secured in the bridge 15' are passed through their respective slots in the keyboard plate 2| and through the registering slots in the member 80 until the notches 83 in the key stems are beneath the keyboard plate 2|, whereupon the bail member 80 is drawn forwardly into the relation to the key stems.

direction of its other end to remove it from retaining position, after which the bail may be moved rearwardly to free it from the notches 83 in the stems of the keys, which may then be removed from the keyboard. By also suitably posttioning the appropriately selected type in the type carriers, the machine may be adapted for the printing of any desired selection of designations and the selection of designations may be altered in any desired manner at any time to suit the requirements of the work to be done on the machine.

Fig. 6 illustrates a modified form of construction in which the bail member 80a, instead of having slots through which the'stems of the desisnation keys pass, has rearwardly extending lugs 90 each adapted to engage the side edge of the stem of a designation key in a notch between lugs or shoulders 9| thereon, the key stems being ar-' ranged in the keyboard with their fiat faces facing forwardly and rearwardly, instead of laterally as in Figs. 4 and 5. Each of the lugs 90 is also formed with a notch between shoulders 92 thereon to receive the lateral edge of the key stem and prevent the bail member 80a from being displaced forwardly or rearwardly out of operative The bail 80a is held against movement laterally or the keyboard, that is, longitudinally of the bail member, out of operative relation to the key stems by means of a retaining stud or screw 93 extending between and secured in the upper and lower keyboard plates 2| and 22, said stud 93 being inserted and secured in position after the bail member 80a has been inserted and placed inoperative position in relation to the keys. The bail member 88 can be removed at any time when it is desired to change iront of the leftmost key or the group is formed with a projection 95 which, after the bail member 801) has been moved leftward into operative position relative to the keys, may be bent down on the left-hand side of the stem of the leftmost key of the group to prevent movement of the bail member 801) to the right. The ball member 801) may be removed by simply bending the lug 95 out of the way and performing the assembling steps in reversed order.

' Fig. 7 illustrates the application of the invention to a machine such as the well-known Burroughs Class 4 Visible machine having a keyboard which, like that of the Gooch Patent 1,395,044, has only the upper one, 2I, of the two keyboard plates 2I and 22 of Figs. 4 to 6. To provide bearing for the lower ends of the lugs 820 of the bail members 800, strips, bars or plates 91 are mounted in position at the appropriate distance below the keyboard plate ZI by means of studs 96 which, if a bail member of a form similar to the bail member 80a of Fig. 6 is employed, may also serve to retain the bail member against displacement laterally of the keyboard out of operative relation to the keys.

Most calculating machines are provided with an error key which, when depressed; will release the keys in all or most of the key-banks of the machine and permit them to be restored by their springs. Some machines are provided alternatively or, as the Burroughs "high keyboard" machine of Fig. l, additionally in each key-bank with individual release keys or buttons which may be depressed to release only the depressed key in the individual key-bank with which the release key or button is associated. Such a single bank release key or button is shown in Fig. 1 at the designation set-up by merely removing the screw or stud 93 and moving the bail member a short distance laterally and then forwardly, after which it may be removed laterally from the keyboard.

Fig. 8 shows another modified form of construction in which the slots BIb on the bail member 80b for all of the keys of the group excepting the leftmost key of the group are substantially wider than the thickness of the key stems, the left-hand portions of the slots 0Ib being of suincient length to pass the entire lower portion of the key stem therethrough, whereas the right-hand portion of each of said slots is shorter by nearly the depth of the notch 83b. After the stems of the keys secured in the bridge member I5 are passed through the openings in the upper keyboard plate and through the registering longer left-hand portions of the slots 8Ib until the notches 83b in the key stems are in alignment with the edges of the bail member 80b at the rearends of the slots Blb and the bail member 00?) is then pulled forwardly and slid a short distance to the left relative to the keys, the shortness of the right-hand portions of each of said wide slots Blb will cause the rear edge of the bail 80b at the rear end of the slots to be retained in the notches 83b in the key stems. Instead of being formed with another slot like the wide slots Blb for the leftmost key of the group or keys to be connected, the left-hand edge of the top portion 01' the bail member 00b may simply be formed with a notch to receive the portion ofthe stern of said leftmost key at the level of the notch 83b therein when the bail member 00b is moved leftward into operative position, as just mentioned. To hold the bail member 00!: against unintentional movement toward the right, the lug 82b in I00. Normally, the stem of the release key or button I00 would, upon depression, engage directly a rearwardly extending lug IOI of a yoke member I02 pivoted on the rod I03. The yoke I02 has a downwardly extending arm engaging against a lateral lug on an upwardly extending arm of the latch yoke 21, whereby the yoke I 02' is normally held in the position of Fig. 1 but, upon depression of the release key or button I00, rocks the latch yoke 21 clockwise against the tension of its spring 28 to release the key latch slide 25 for the corresponding key bank. When the designation keys in the key-banks 10 are coupled in designation groups by the bridges I5 and bail 80, a depressed group of designation-key could be released only by simultaneous depression of all of the release keys or buttons I00 in all of the keybanks containing one of the keys of the depressed group, inasmuch as all of the keys of the depressed roup would be held in depressed position by the ball while any one of the keys of the group remained latched in depressed position. However, a bail having side arms I04 pivoted on the rod I02 has its transverse connecting portion I05 overlying the rearward arms IOI of all of the release yokes I02 of all of the designation key banks 10 and positioned under the stems of all of the release keys or buttons I00 or all of said designation key-banks I0. Depression of any one of the release keys or buttons I00 for any one of the designation key-banks I0 will cause the bail I04, I05 to rock all of the release yokes I02 to release all of the latches 21 of all of the designation key-banks I0 to release any depressed designation key-group and permit restoration thereof. It is obvious that the provision of the bail I04, I05

will permit the omission of all but a single one key-banks 10, although it is found most convenient for manufacturing as well as other purposes to adhere to standard construction and provide her extending the length of said row of keys between said plates, said coupling member having slots through which the stems of said keys extend and each of said key-stems having in one edge between said plates a notch receiving a portion of said coupling member adjacent the slot therein through which said key-stem extends, said coupling member having portions to bear on at least one of said plates tosupport said coupling ,member for rocking movement thereon along a line substantially removed from said portions in said key-stem notches, and means to retain said portions of said coupling member in said notches.

2. In a machine of the class specified having a keyboard comprising upper and lower plates, the combination of a row of at least two simultaneously depressible keys each having a key-stem extending through said plates, a pair of opposed shoulders on each key-stem between said plates, a supporting means, a coupling device comprising a plate extending the length of said row of keys between said keyboard plates and having slots through which the stems-of said keys extend and having a portion adjacent an edge of each slot engaging between said shoulders on the key-stem extending through said slot, said coupling device also comprising portions extending from said plate to bear rockably on one of said keyboard plates on a line substantially removed from said key-stem shoulders, and means to retain said portions of said coupling. member engaged between said shoulders.

3. In a machine of the class specified, the combination of a row of at least two simultaneously depressible keys each having a key-stem, a pair of opposed shoulders on each key-stem, a supporting means, and a coupling device comprising a plate extending the length of said row of keys and having'slots through which the stems of said keys extend, having a portion adjacent an edge of each slot engaging between said shoulders on the key-stem extending through said slot, and having portion at the opposite edges of a plurality of said slots to retain said firstnamed portions engaged between said shoulders, said coupling device also comprising portions extending from said plate to bear rockably on said supporting means on a line substantially removed from said key-stem shoulders.

4. In a machine of the class specified, the combination of a row of at least two simultaneously depressible keys each having a key-stem, a pair 01 opposed shoulders on each key-stem, a supporting means, and a coupling device comprising .a plate extending the length of said row of keys and having slots through which the stems of said keys extend, having a portion adjacent an edge of each slot engaging between said shoulders on the key-stem extending through said slot, and having portions at the opposite edges of a plurality of said slots to retain said first-named portions engaged between said shoulders, said'coupling device also comprising members extending from said plate to bear rockably on said supporting means on a line substantially removed from said key-stem shoulders, and means on at least one of said members to retain said last-mentioned portions of said plate in effective relation with said key-stems.

5. In a machine of the class specified, having a keyboard comprising upper and lower keyboard plates, the combination of a group of simultaneously depressible keys having key-stems passing through said plates, coupling elements on each of said key-stems between said plates, a coupling member positioned between said keyboard plates and having portions to bear against at least one of said plates and coupling portions substantially spaced from said bearing portions and coupled with the coupling element on each of said keystems to cause rocking of said coupling member and full depression of all of said keys upon full depression of any of said keys, and displaceable means to.maintain the coupling portions of said coupling member in'coupled relation with the coupling elements of said key-stems.

6. In a machine of theclass specified, having a keyboard comprising upper and lower keyboard plates; the combination of a group of simultaneously depressible keys having key-stems passing through said plates, coupling element on each of said key-stems, and. a coupling member positioned between said plates and having portions to bear against at least one of said plates and extending into proximity to the other of said plates and portions spaced from said bearing portions and coupled with the coupling elements on each of said key-stems, and means to limit movement of said coupling member transversely of said keystems whereby to maintain said coupling member coupled with said coupling elements on said keystems and, in combination with said plates, to confine movement of said coupling member effected by depression of any of said keys substantially to rocking movement to cause simultaneous depression of the remainder of said keys.

'7. In a machine of the class specified having akeyboard comprising upper and lower plates, the combination of a row of at least two simultaneously depressible keys each having a keystem extending through said plates, 9. pair of opposed shoulders On each key-stem between said plates, acoupling device comprising a plate extending the length of said row of keys between said plates and having portions engaging between said shoulders on each oi. said key-stems and portions extending from said latter plate to bear rockably on one of said keyboard plates on a line substantially removed from said'key-' stem shoulders, and means to retain said por tions or said coupling member engaged between said shoulders.

. ROBERT L. MULLER. 

